Hasta La Gadget!

We haven’t exactly been lacking in SlingPlayer-supporting devices as of late, but it looks like the placeshifting service could possibly be set to expand to an entirely new area: game consoles. That word comes from a new Sling survey obtained by Zatz Not Funny, which attempts to gauge customers’ interest in a SlingPlayer app for game consoles (it specifically asks if they own an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii). As you might expect, however, details are light beyond that, with the survey only mentioning that such an app would let you watch video from your SlingBox in full HD, and that you’d naturally be able to control it with your console’s controller. Of course, while it does come directly from Sling itself, it is also still just a survey, so we wouldn’t recommend getting your hopes up too much for the time being.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

SlingPlayer survey hints at possible expansion to game consoles originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parents with small children who enjoy watching Netflix on the Xbox 360 will be glad to hear that the Xbox 360 Netflix app has been given a nice new feature. Netflix has announced that the Just for Kids channel has landed on the Xbox 360. The same feature came to the PS3 back in March of 2012.

The problem with turning kids loose on Netflix without limiting them to the Just for Kids section is that some films that have inappropriate content despite having innocent sounding names. With the new Just for Kids section now available on the Xbox 360, parents can rest assured that their children can choose any streaming items in the section, and the content is safe for kids to watch.

Just as on other platforms, the Just for Kids section on Xbox 360 has rows of TV shows and movies organized in a method that is easy for kids to understand. There are genres for things such as superheroes, princesses, dinosaurs, and girl power. Our pal SpongeBob SquarePants even gets his own section as does Nickelodeon’s iCarly and others.

The channel also provides a personalized experience based on what the kids watch. That means if, for instance, your daughter watches movies about horses, more content featuring horses will be shown. With the Just for Kids section coming to the Xbox 360, it’s now available on all major consoles, PCs, Macs, Apple TV, and some smart TVs and Blu-ray players. Netflix notes that this year the Just for Kids section will come the other devices, including tablets.

Netflix Just for Kids launches on Xbox 360 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Looking to unload your unwanted gaming gear? You’re probably on your way to GameStop. As the largest dedicated video game retailer in the world, it’s hard to imagine a games enthusiast who hasn’t browsed its wares a time or two. Over the last few years, however, the firm has been expanding outside of retail sales — dipping its fingers into digital distribution, streaming and even phones and tablets. The brick-and-mortar store even seemed to be flirting with building a mobile network. With all these changes underfoot and a new console cycle just around the corner, it seemed like a good time to catch up with GameStop CEO Paul Raines to get some perspective.

Continue reading The Engadget Interview: GameStop CEO Paul Raines talks tablets, OUYA and the MVNO that never was

Filed under: Gaming

The Engadget Interview: GameStop CEO Paul Raines talks tablets, OUYA and the MVNO that never was originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sad news coming out of Crytek today, as it seems that the long-awaited TimeSplitters 4 will have to wait a bit longer. We’ve been hearing rumors of TimeSplitters 4‘s existence for years now, but in an interview with VG247, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli said that fan interest is not yet high enough to justify making the game. However, don’t despair TimeSplitters fans, as Crytek might have something for you anyway.

“I tested through my official blog to see how big the Timesplitters community is, and while the volume of responses was quite high, we feel it’s not high enough yet,” Yerli said. “That being said, it did indeed trigger a deeper evaluation of what we do with Timesplitters, and I can only say this for now; we might have some surprises coming soon.”

So Crytek might have some surprises in store for TimeSplitters fans? That would be great, but like any good game developer, Yerli picked his words carefully and didn’t give anything away. Since he isn’t talking (and probably won’t be for a while), we’re just going to go ahead and make some assumptions. Yerli’s tease makes us immediately think that Crytek might be considering an HD re-release of the TimeSplitters trilogy. At the very least, we might see some of the original TimeSplitters games released on PSN and Xbox Live.

Of course, we don’t have any proof to back these assumptions up, but re-releasing the older TimeSplitters game would be a good way to gauge fan interest in TimeSplitters 4. Provided those re-releases sell well, Crytek may be encouraged to begin development on TimeSplitters 4, and anyone who has played a TimeSplitters game knows that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Whatever these surprises are, we can’t wait to find out about them. TimeSplitters is one of the great franchises of years past, and it would be wonderful to see Crytek giving the series more attention. Hopefully Crytek ends up following through with Yerli’s tease, because even if it isn’t anything more than a few re-releases on XBLA and PSN, we’re sure TimeSplitters fans would be happy to have them. Stay tuned.

Fan interest for TimeSplitters 4 not high enough yet, Crytek says is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

With the release of Doom 3 BFG Edition coming up in just a couple of months, Bethesda and id Software have taken some time at this year’s QuakeCon (which kicked off yesterday) to hype the game. In a new trailer released today, we get a glimpse at some of Doom 3 BFG‘s new levels. There are eight new levels in all, and collectively they’re called “The Lost Mission,” serving as something of a second expansion for Doom 3.

As with most Doom-related media, this trailer can get pretty terrifying at times. We’re promised that Doom 3 BFG Edition will include more horror effects than the original did, so the hope is that this new edition is a bit more horrifying than the game we got in 2004. In The Lost Mission, players return to Mars as the last surviving member of Union Aerospace Corporation’s Bravo Team. Naturally, that isn’t a setup for a flowery story, and it isn’t long after arriving that we discover the minions of Hell are there in force.

It appears that this battle won’t only be fought on Mars, as the trailer gives glimpses of what looks an awful lot like Hell. With updated graphics for the current generation, Doom 3 BFG Edition is definitely a game to pay attention to. It also comes packed with copies of the original Doom and Doom II, so if you’ve never played a Doom game before (is that even possible?) Doom 3 BFG sounds like it’ll be a good place to start. Check out the new trailer below.

Doom 3 BFG Edition is coming to Xbox 360, PS3, and PC on October 16, and afterward we imagine id Software will ramp up work on Doom 4. At least, that’s the hope. We’ve known about Doom 4 since 2008, so it can’t be much too much longer until it’s finally released. Still, the team at id is taking Valve’s famous “when it’s done” approach to Doom 4‘s development, so we could be waiting for some time yet.

QuakeCon blasts terrifying Doom 3 BFG: The Lost Mission trailer is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.